Last week, my 11 year-old son was sick for two days with a cough and a mild cold. Nothing serious, but he was tired and drained and his cough was too disruptive to send him to school.
So he stayed home.
I snuggled him in my bed with the dog lying on the floor next to him, a box of tissues for his nose, a cup of warm tea and a pile of Tintin Books for him to read.
I sat next to him, laptop on my lap, working while I kept him company. He even felt good enough on the second day, to be up and about and I kept him company in the kitchen while he made cupcakes… all by himself.
Now while this sounds all nice and cozy, you might be wondering, why does it matter to you?
I’ll tell you why.
11 years ago, when my son, this son that today is sick (my number three child) was born, I decided to leave my full time job. At the time, I had a job that I loved as Director of Online Learning for a company in New York but I wanted to be more present for my then three children household and I felt that the only way to do so was by leaving my job and focusing on motherhood.
That only lasted 9 months…
While I wanted to be more present for my kids and fully experience the role of motherhood, I did not know that not working would be so hard or so frustrating as a professional woman.
By the time my, then youngest son was 9 months I felt lost, frustrated and bored. While I love being a mother, I realized that working was a big part of who I was. Developing my professional career was as vital to me as being present for my children.
That’s the day I began my first company.
Entrepreneurship has been a great way for me to combine my professional aspirations with my life as a full time mother of four children. I have, since 2004 began three different companies, gone back to school and began a whole new profession as a coach, strategist and mastermind leader.
I have been in both sides of the motherhood dilemma, the “if I work I feel guilty and If I don’t work I loose myself and my sense of identity” and I have come out in the middle.
I CAN be a full time attentive mother AND lead a successful career, own my own business, consult for large companies, work with CEO’s and small companies and leave my footprint in the world with my work.
And you can too.
Bernard Marr in his article “Can You Be Successful and a Good Parent?”, talks about redefining success as a way to clarify and attain a successful career and family life. He writes …”Fortunately, I think it’s becoming more acceptable for successful men and women to put the success of their families on par with the success of their businesses.”
It’s all about getting clear and making choices.
Whether you are a mother or a father or just a creative person wanting to live your life in your own terms, you just have to design it.
I’m not saying start your own company, what I AM SAYING is think like an entrepreneur:
- Understand what you are REALLY good at
- Get CLEAR on the kind of life you want
- DESIGN a work situation that will allow you to have it all
Yes, I’m talking about baking the pie and eating it too…. Otherwise, why bother baking it, right?
My clients, both entrepreneurs and professionals in the corporate space have, by gaining CLARITY, been able to design a work situation that aligns with their ultimate game plan.
They realized that waiting for retirement to begin the life they want is NOT an option. They chose to live the life of their dreams NOW.
